Matsuricon’s pretty much been my best source for merchandise over the years, partly because Ohayocon’s dealer’s room is always more crowded. Though I’m usually not huge on merch, a few things have caught my eye over the years: the Lucky Star trading figures, the Shakugan no Shana cosplay necklace, and the Soul Eater mini trading figures series. These are probably the highlights of my merchandise collection aside from my battered and yaoi-fied Edward and Toushirou plushies. And fortunately, they’ve all turned out to be relatively high quality products, though each with their own flaws.

Lucky Star Trading Figure: Yutaka

At Matsuricon 2008, Lucky Star was THE thing in the dealer’s room. And when I spotted the second Lucky Star trading figures series boxes for $7 apiece, I was a happy fangirl. I knew I’d be happy with anything, especially Hiyori, but imagine my excitement when I pulled out…

Yutaka! <3 She’s about 2.5 inches high and came in 8 pieces, including the stand. Upon assembling her I was pleased to find she’s a well-constructed, good-looking figure.

She came with 2 right arms – one bent and one straight. Both result in pretty cute poses, but the straight one seems to fit far better than the bent one (as shown in the above right pic.) The stand fits nicely into her back and doesn’t distract from the rest of the figure.

And yes, her head is capable of turning all the way around. This is a pretty nice touch and, of course, allows for a greater variety of poses. Another feature is the removable skirt, but in an attempt to keep the blog family-friendly I didn’t include that. (Yes, she has panties underneath, and yes, they are white.) Though the paint job isn’t perfect, it’s still quite nice for an inexpensive figurine like this. A great find for any moe fan, regardless of your views on Lucky Star. I mean, those hair ribbons… how can you resist?!? Let’s just hope the rest of the trading figures series is this nice.

CJ’s Rating: 8.5 out of 10 California rolls

Soul Eater Mini Trading Figures: Death the Kid, Liz & Patty

There was practically a fistfight in the dealer’s room at Matsuricon this year over these trading figures. Rakuen will back me up on that. Soul Eater’s the object of fangirl affection this year, with the anime being released in November, but the trading figures were some of the only merch at Matsuricon. They were also $7 each, but unfortunately, they’re a notch below the Lucky Star ones in quality.

The figure in question actually contains two different bases – and a total of three characters. Patty and Liz have their own base, but are only visible from the hips up. Still, their poses and expressions are quite adorable and suit their respective personalities.

Kid’s a little dull, really – while his pose is fun and true to the series, his expression is bland. Not normal. Bland. Yeah, Kid’s not exactly known for being uber-animated (pun not intended) in the series, but he certainly has cooler expressions than this.

Another near-fatal flaw is the paint job, which looks fine from a distance but sucks up close. Hair is rendered sloppily and facial details miss their intended location – you can see the line where Liz’s closed eye is supposed to be, but the actual paint is well above it. Still, some of the details look better than expected for a figure of this type.

Other cute perks include the text on the bases (“Death the Kid” and “Thompson Sisters”) and the way the bases fit together. Overall, it’s a nice little set for Soul Eater fans, but don’t expect the best of quality. (Let’s at least hope Soul and Maka got a better paint job than this…)

CJ’s Rating: 7 out of 10 California rolls

Shakugan no Shana Cosplay Necklace

I’ll be honest: I’m not keen on Shana as a series. I do, however, love Shana’s character, with all her rage and tsundereness. (I’m a sucker for tsunderes, what can I say?) And I’ve always loved her amulet, Alastor, and everything it symbolizes, so when I saw it Matsuricon it was an instant get. A tad pricey at $12, but it’s such nice quality I really shouldn’t complain.

The amulet itself is roughly the same color as in the series, though I really think it should be a bit darker. Additionally, instead of being totally round (as it appears in the series, though I may be wrong,) the red part is just a dome; the back is flat and metal.  The only truly noticable difference from the series is the chain it’s on – it’s supposed to only be a black cord. The upgrade from cord to chain is definitely a nice touch, though, and makes the necklace as a whole more durable and appealing for everyday wear.

I’ve had no problems with the clasp sticking or the chain doing hinky things in the past week and a half. Despite the minor design differences, it’s a nice accessory even for non-Shana fans. Cosplayers capable of making their own jewelry might want to forgo this and create a more faithful and exact reproduction, but casual fangirls (and even guys) should love this.

(quick disclaimer – as I went to publish this, I spotted a photo of an “official” Shana pendant and it seems more accurate than the one reviewed above. Perhaps this one’s a bootleg? Be careful~!)

CJ’s Rating: 8 out of 10 California rolls (minus 1 if you’re going for accuracy)

~CJ